A Crosspool resident who had their handbag stolen from their house this week is warning people to be vigilant.
The person living on Tapton Crescent Road was in their garden with the back door open when the front doorbell rang. There was no-one there when they answered the door but on returning to the garden they saw their handbag had been stolen from inside their back door.
This theft follows reports from the local police at last night’s Open Meeting of washing from three different clothes lines being stolen on one day in the recent warm weather.
Local Neighbourhood Watch representatives are urging Crosspool teenagers to employ streetwise safety after three boys were threatened with guns and mugged near Calver Fields on Thursday 19 June around 11pm.
The teenagers were among the last to leave an end-of-exams gathering in the field near Hagg Lane. While walking up the hill to go home two men stopped them and threatened them with guns. The men escaped with at least one mobile phone.
The boys called the police, who met them at the junction of Hagg Lane and Manchester Road. You may have heard a police helicopter looking for the perpetrators later on Thursday night.
If you have teenagers celebrating the end of term or passing exams then a reminder to be extra vigilant.
A local resident has been in touch to warn of three men aged 18-20 acting suspiciously in Crosspool on Thursday.
One knocked on one door of an empty-looking house and was surprised when the owner answered. He asked for directions and then set off walking the opposite way. He was later seen with two other youths knocking on other doors on nearby streets.
The police were notified via 101 and agreed this was suspicious behaviour. They suggested that it sounded as if they were canvassing properties with the potential to commit burglary.
A reminder to keep an eye out for anyone acting suspiciously and report to 101 if you do. Keep your valuables out of sight and to let elderly relatives/neighbours know that they should exercise caution when opening the door to strangers.
A man living on Lydgate Hall Crescent has been jailed after police found more than a hundred tasers and CS gas canisters disguised as mobile phones, torches and lipsticks.
Former doorman Matthew Bandoo was identified by police after a package from China was traced to his home address.
When officers searched his home address in Lydgate Hall Crescent, Crosspool, Sheffield, they recovered the parcel which, according to the customs declaration, contained flashlights.
However, inside the box was actually 52 tasers and 50 CS gas canisters which are both classed as banned weapons. The gas canisters looked like lipsticks and the tasers were disguised as mobile phones and torches.
A further four tasers and one gas canister were found in the house and police also recovered a quantity of Mephadrone – a class B drug known as MKAT.
Bandoo, 29, appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday 12 February where he pleaded guilty to possession of disguised firearms, possession of prohibited articles and possession of a class B drug. He was sentenced to five years for the crimes.
Detective Constable Bradley Ward said: “This was an unusual case in which these dangerous weapons had been made to look like everyday objects, concealing the potentially life-changing damage they could do.
“It still remains unclear as to what Bandoo aimed to do with more than 100 tasers and CS gas canisters but a trawl of his computer’s history was found to contain searches for stun guns, hidden stun guns and pepper spray.
“Thankfully the swift actions of colleagues in the UK Border Agency, and local officers, meant the items have been recovered and Bandoo is now rightly facing a lengthy time in jail.”
The police would like to hear from anyone in the Dransfield Road area yesterday between 5pm and 6pm
Police are appealing for witnesses after a traffic collision in Crosspool left an elderly pedestrian in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
A red VW Polo was travelling in Dransfield Road away from Watt Lane around 5.10pm on Thursday 13 February when it collided with an 86-year-old man who was crossing the road.
The pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield. The driver of the VW, a 93-year-old man, was not injured.
Officers want to hear from anyone in the Dransfield Road area between 5pm and 6pm on 13 February 2014. Anyone with information should call South Yorkshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 858 of 13 February 2014.
An elderly Crosspool woman had her purse stolen by a man posing as a workman on Thursday.
The man arrived at her address at around 11.40am, saying he needed to check the water pressure. He asked the pensioner for a cup of tea, which she went to make for him. When he went to leave, she found her purse had been taken.
The suspect is described as white, tanned, slim and between 6ft and 6ft 2ins tall. He was clean-shaven, had brown eyes and was wearing a jacket described as orange and industrial-looking, as well as a hard hat.
Inspector Alexandra Murthi said: “Distraction burglaries can be very distressing for vulnerable and elderly people, who unfortunately are often the victims of such crimes.
“While not wanting to frighten residents unnecessarily, we feel it is important for the community to be aware of bogus officials operating and some of the tactics that have been employed by bogus callers in the past.”
Members of the public are reminded to:
Always keep the front and back doors locked at all times, even when at home
Think about whether you are expecting anyone and look through the window before answering the door
Always check ID carefully and contact the company to see if that person should be at your house. Some companies use a password system, which the caller should give when they arrive. If in doubt, do not let the person into your house I
Inspector Murthi added: “People should not feel rude for saying no or for not answering the door to someone they do not know.
“We would encourage anyone, if they think they may have been a victim of this type of crime or an attempt has been made, to contact the police on the numbers below.”
There was similar incident earlier on that day in Netherthorpe. Anyone with any information on distraction burglaries should call South Yorkshire Police’s non-emergency number on 101.
Following the Crosspool Forum meeting in July I wrote to the Police and Crime Commissioner, and various Sheffield police commanders about concerns that had been expressed about the future of neighbourhood policing.
I have been contacted by one of those I wrote to, Inspector Deborah Pickering, who is responsible for policing in the south west of Sheffield. She was unable to give me any definite information at this stage but she did make a number of comments.
First she said that South Yorkshire Police is fully committed to neighbourhood policing with local police constables and police and community support officers responsible for a particular area and known in the locality.
Second she referred to the closure of Crewe Flats where our neighbourhood police officers are based at present. She said that because of cuts to the policing budget there was some rationalising of police stations with some closing. She said that it was almost certain that Crewe Flats would close with a likely closure date of early January.
She also said that she was committed to police officers being based within reasonable distances of where they were working but could not at the moment say where police officers for Crookes and Crosspool would be based. She seemed sympathetic to my view that Woodseats would be too far away.
I will be meeting Inspector Pickering in September when I hope to be given some more definite information which I will report.
A broken down 51 bus blocked Sandygate Road this morning (photo: @Bamforths_xpool)
A broken down 51 bus caused minor delays to traffic in Crosspool shopping precinct this morning at around 11am.
The stationary 51 bus blocked Sandygate Road over the zebra crossing near Artisan restaurant, meaning there was only room for vehicles to pass in a single direction at any one time.
Police were on hand around to direct traffic around the bus until it was repaired later in the morning.
Lilian Rowden was found safe just after 10.05pm last night (Thursday 1 August) in the Rivelin area of Sheffield.
This followed an extensive search involving police officers, Edale Mountain Rescue Team, Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team, and search and rescue dog handlers from neighbouring areas.
South Yorkshire Police are thanking those involved in the search and everyone who supported their appeal.
Crosspool News - crosspool.info 